


It's a Match

by AlyssAlenko, NaroMoreau



Series: Tales of Sherner [1]
Category: Mass Effect - All Media Types, Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Arousal, Blind Date, Chatting & Messaging, Cowgirl Position, Cunnilingus, Explicit Sexual Content, F/M, First Dates, Flashbacks, Goodbyes, I Don't Even Know, I never expected this brain slug to see the light of day, I'm Sorry, Identity Reveal, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Torture, Innuendo, Kissing, Masturbation, Matchmaking, Mild Language, Morning After, PTSD, Past Relationship(s), Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Porn, Porn with Feelings, Revelations, Science, Sexual Content, Smut, Strangers, Surprises, Typos, and a different side of him, black holes, but just in case, everyone's favorite fanboy, i got to be a nerd this chapter, not really graphic depictions of violence?, past trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-09-25
Updated: 2018-09-27
Packaged: 2019-07-17 07:44:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,323
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16091150
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AlyssAlenko/pseuds/AlyssAlenko, https://archiveofourown.org/users/NaroMoreau/pseuds/NaroMoreau
Summary: Shepard is just about ready to kill Jack, Kasumi and Tali for meddling in her life and setting her up on a dating website, but is it wrong that she's intrigued? Even if the person on the other end of the line isn't quite who she expects...





	1. iPartner Connections

**Author's Note:**

> My Co-Author encouraged the Madness, and I love her for it. The prompt was something you don't ship, and here we are...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard never expected to meet someone on a dating site of all places. At least he seems normal...

_ From: iPartner Connections _ __  
__  
_ Rec'd: 15:37 _ __  
_ Miss Shepard _ __  
_ Username: SoldierWise _ __  
__  
_ We have reviewed your application to join the iPartner group and are happy to accept you into the exclusive Diamond Circle, where the best meet the best! iPartner is proud to present you with our exclusive Diamond Circle benefits: _ __  
__  
_ \- Access your account as often as you wish _ __  
_ \- Unrestricted membership search across 23 systems _ __  
_ \- Review potential iPartners in full 360 vision* _ __  
_ \- Guaranteed first choice placement of your personal dossier _ __  
__  
_ Questions? Ask your personal iPartner representative. _ __  
__  
_ Welcome! _ __  
__  
_ iPartner Connections _ __  
_  
_ __ "Executive matches for selective people"

_ *iPartner reserves the right to censor inappropriate submissions _

Kasumi, Tali and Jack were so dead.

Sitting in front of her private terminal in her quarters, Quinn glared at the screen, eyes narrowed and brow creased, the username picked giving her the exact idea of the offenders. It had been just the night before she had spent three hours chatting with a certain thief, her biotic crazy companion, and their resident tech genius about things ranging from the crew’s asses to the meaning of her name,  _ wise _ . Yeah, that didn’t sound so wise now. She'd barely had time to process Horizon, the scene still sending a stinging pain to her chest whenever her memory dredged it up, only to find out they'd gone and meddled in her personal life and set her up on a  _ dating _ site. She scrolled up to delete her profile, to not give their devilry a single chance, but every time the mouse hovered over the ‘delete and unsubscribe’ button, she hesitated. 

_ What? For fuck’s sake. _

SoldierWise...

At least it didn’t have her name and that was a relief. Her thumb played with her lip,  _ maybe she could leave it for a little while _ . Having someone to talk to would be nice, even if she wasn't looking for a relationship right now. Sighing heavily, she pushed her chair back, leaving the window minimized as she fiddled with one of the model ship kits she'd just bought, connecting pieces with shaking hands. Keeping herself busy was proving to be harder than she thought, her eyes being pulled to her console every five seconds. Setting her pieces down she re-opened the window with the intention of making small changes to some of the blatant embellishment of her life Tali, Kasumi and Jack had portrayed. If someone contacted her, it had to be for who she was. A soft smile tugged the corner of her lips as she typed; she loved her crew, but sometimes, just  _ sometimes  _ she just wanted to escape and be Quinn, neither Commander or Shepard, not the Savior of the Galaxy and the leader of a Suicide Mission, to have someone outside all the turmoil her life was. After saving the changes, she focused her attention back on the ship scattered across her desk. She had just turned when a faint ping caught her attention, and her head snapped up immediately, half of her dreading and the other half curious. They couldn't have found someone already…

_ Inter-relay Text Chat _ __  
_ Location: The Citadel, Silversun Strip _ __  
__  
_ To: SoldierWise _ __  
_ From: iPartner Connections _ __  
_  
_ __ 16:12 Admin: We have found a match based on the changes to your profile. Would you like to set up a chat?

Quinn stared at the screen, rise brows and mouth opened in shock-- _so fast?_ _Should she accept?_ Her fingers drummed on the desk, Kaidan’s frowning face, his deprecating words haunting her; it had been just hours ago, _but_ she needed someone to talk to, someone who couldn’t judge her, who could be honest with her unafraid to hurt her feelings, someone who could talk to her as if she was a normal person. _And that was the beauty of it_. Running her fingers through her brown wavy hair did nothing to calm her nerves. She took a deep, steadying breath, fingers loitering over the keyboard. A small catch of fear bubbled beneath her uncertainty, but for all she knew it could be someone feeling just as lost and alone in the galaxy as she felt at the moment, having a hard time just like she was. Having watched the world fall apart, she felt compelled to leave it a better place than she found it, _wasn’t that what she had been doing since she enlisted_? and who was she to turn her back on someone else looking for a friend? Maybe if she was lucky, she could have fun along the way.  

_ 16:18 SW: Please. _

_ 16:18 Admin: Connecting with DarkEnergyMatters. Have a pleasant day and thank you for join iPartner Connections! _

***

As he walked down the strip, a bulky package down his arm, the neon lights almost blinded him. He made his way through the crowd of idle bystanders, uninteresting tittle-tattle ringing in his ears every time he came too close to one of the groups of people.

When he arrived to the doors of his apartment building the concierge greeted him and he gave a slight nod, entering the elevator. Once the doors closed, a deep sigh escaped from his lips, his eyes shut as he pressed the package against his chest, a hint of desperation glazing his movements. When the elevator stopped he stepped through his doors, the familiar view of his apartment welcoming him. He was going to miss this place, every single corner bedecked by memories of her; a scale model of the Normandy, the poster of the Survivor of Akuze, framed pictures from when the Council named her First Human Spectre. Though the poster was coming with him to Ilium--he couldn't leave her behind.

He strode to his table and placed the package on it, unwrapping it with trembling hands. The onyx black shone with the N7 hallmarked by the pure white and the red of blood, making him gasp. His memory lingered in the few times he had seen her, standing there in front of him with her own N7 armor, as ferocious as she was stunning. God, he missed her so much! He sat in front of his terminal, trying to calm down. The manufacturer was right. It was a perfect copy. A perfect duplicate that stirred the memories he had fought so hard to ditch and it had been worth the time he'd had to wait. Conrad opened his messages, following his everyday routine, a flickering name catching his attention--an email he'd ignored for too long. 

_ To: Conrad Verner _ _  
_ _ From: Cassandra Verner _

_ Hey bro! How are you? I just signed up in this amazing thing I have to tell you, but pick up your damn phone! It’s been a year! I ran into Gary last week, he said you were still prattling on about Shepard and how her death wasn't fair. You're still a nerd to me, but now I hear you have a big new job. Seriously idiot, you need friends, so I signed you up on iPartner. I know, I know, don’t thank me! Wish me luck in a brand new Galaxy! _

_ Love,  _

_ Cass _

Almost a year and a half ago, and he regretted not saying goodbye--and he hadn't even told her the truth. It wasn't a job as much as it was a calling; pick up where Shepard left off to try and make the galaxy a better place, even if no one believed he could do it. Though quitting his other job may have been a bit rash, he knew Cass wouldn’t have approved. He had a PhD in high-energy physics and a hotly-debated thesis about the effects of Dark Energy on the passage of time, for crying out loud...he wasn't a soldier. But Shepard was his inspiration, his escape from an awful life of bullies and mundane, prosaic things--a break like reading, writing and art were for others--and he'd be the first to admit that he'd been head over heels in love with her. Just her presence had inspired him to take a stand, alleviate suffering. She'd overcome growing up in the slums and what happened on Akuze, pulling herself up by her bootstraps and not letting life keep her down, and he wanted that too.

A soft ping chimed from his terminal.

_ Inter-relay Text Chat _ __  
_ Location: Deep Space _ __  
__  
_ To: DarkEnergyMatters _ __  
_ From: iPartner Connections _ __  
_  
_ __ 16:18 Admin: SoldierWise would like to chat with you. Do you want us to connect you?

He hesitated, blond lashes flickering. In all that year he hadn’t received a single notification from that wretched site, and at this point he didn’t care. He was ready to close the window and never look at the site again--but Cassandra’s words echoed in his mind; guilt for his prolonged silence ate him inside, he owed his little sister at least that. 

_ 16:20 DEM: Okay. _

_ 16:20 Admin: Connecting with SoldierWise. Have a pleasant day and thank you for join iPartner Connections! _

***

_... _ **_DarkEnergyMatters_ ** _ is typing... _

The words blinked on her screen but not a single word came through, her sweaty palms revealing her nervousness. Typing in a message, she was about to hit enter, but thought better of it and deleted the entire message before trying again, wording her greeting in a different, less hokey way. Four minutes she continued on that way, four minutes since the Admins connected them, before she decided to take matters into her own hands. He seemed to be as nervous as she was, and scrolling through the profile on this godforsaken site was not helping...they seemed to have plenty in common, so why was making a new friend so hard all of a sudden? She never really had to do anything, never had to reach out, people just tended to gravitate to her and then everything worked itself out. She took a deep breath, this didn't have to be a hard thing. Maybe start by saying hello.

_ 16:24 SW: Um, hi. Sorry, is this weird? My meddlesome friends set this up for me. I love ‘em and wanna strangle ‘em at the same time _

_ 16:24 DEM: Hello there. I’m sorry for this, my sister seemed to think the same. Can’t strangle her though, she just left. _

_ 16:24 SW: Were you two close? _

_ 16:25 DEM: When we were children, now not so much. _

_ 16:25 DEM: What about you? do you have any brothers or sisters? _

Quinn paused, wondering if she really wanted to get into this with a virtual stranger, sighing and shaking her head...she could be an open book without going into details--omit the Reds and certain other details.

_ 16:27 SW: I'm...not sure. Never knew my parents, they may be dead, or they gave me up. I've been on my own almost as long as I can remember...though I feel like all my friends have become my adopted family, so to speak. A family I get to choose. _

_ 16:27 SW: Sorry. You don't want to hear my sob story. It's been a hell of a day--work, y'know? So tell me about you. Any hobbies? _

_ 16:28 DEM: I'm very sorry to hear that. It must've been hard. My parents died when Cass (my sister) and I were young, but at least we had them for a while. _

_ 16:28 DEM: Hey, at least you have friends. _

_16:28 SW:_ :'( _  Oh gosh. I'm sorry! _

_ 16:29 DEM: It's ok, it doesn't compare to your situation. _

_ 16:30 DEM: Hobbies? Well, I like reading and watching sci-fi, as well as making model ships. _

_ 16:30 DEM: And you? _

_ 16:31SW: I love model ships. I was actually just trying to build one while plotting my friends’ demise. _

_ 16:31 DEM: Do you? Wow, that's cool! _

_ 16:31 DEM: I even have the Normandy, limited edition. :D _

_ 16:32 SW: That was the first one I bought! _

_ 16:32SW: No collection is complete without it. :D _

_ 16:32 DEM: You are damn right! :) _

She laughed, glad to find another nerd who understood her love of model ships--she came back to the Normandy with a box under her arm, far too often. Joker, Garrus and Thane made fun of her for it. But the Normandy SR1 was her baby, and that one had be included--and had started the craze. She glanced up at the case in front of her, almost full from her collecting frenzy that she didn't even try to hide anymore...coming back from every place they went with a new ship. He was typing again, those telltale little dots blinking in and out of existence on the screen.

_ 16:35 DEM: So you're a soldier? _

_ 16:36 SW: For...oh God, about 14 years now...give or take a little break a couple years ago. _

Ha. A break. Is that what she was calling it now?

_ 16:36 SW: It saved my life. _

_ 16:36 SW: But I love being out in space. The stars remind me humanity is small. _

_ 16:37 SW: And that there's a lot of room for all of us. _

_ 16:38 DEM: That's a good way to look at things. _

_ 16:38 DEM: Sometimes you need a break, I agree with you there. _

_ 16:39 DEM: I quit my job almost a year ago, and got to see space again. It's breathtaking and damn big. _

_ 16:39 DEM: You're right. _

_ 16:40 SW: Haha. So, favorite sci-fi epic. _

_ 16:40 SW: Please say "The Last of the Legion" _

16:40 DEM: :O  _ Maybe this site really works because you stole that from me I swear! _

She couldn't repress a grin, leaning back in her chair. Ever since she had been revived by Cerberus she hadn’t felt quite like Quinn, still struggling to re-claim the splinters of her former self, most of the time unable to piece them together. Waking up on the other side hadn’t left time to process or digest that for Cerberus, she was only Commander Shepard; this was just the break she needed after everything that had been going on, reminding her that after all this, the universe didn’t want her to be as miserable as possible. She'd have to thank Tali, Kasumi and Jack when she had the chance.

_ 16:42 SW: X'D X'D X'D _

_ 16:42 SW: Maybe they're not so dead afterall… _

_ 16:45 SW: So, what was this job? You quit because you weren't enjoying it anymore? _

_ 16:45 SW: I was paying attention. You're not getting out of it  _ **_that_ ** _ easy _

_16:45 DEM:_ XD  _ Can't blame a guy for trying. _

_ 16:50 DEM: I'm a high-energy physicist, but my main field is dark energy. I worked for a company that developed FTL cores, I know very boring, but I loved it. _

_ 16:52 DEM: I actually quit because, well, because a dear friend died, and I just I didn't think I just could keep going as if nothing had happened. I know, this doesn't make much sense, but she meant the world to me. It completely shattered everything I was. _

Her brows shot up, lower lip disappearing underneath her teeth; she hadn’t been wrong--he was as astray as she was. The fact he was able to accept that the death of a friend could affect him to the point of making him quit a job he loved--just made him more real, more engaging. At least he was taking the time he needed to recover...a smart choice rather than letting his work suffer and drag him down.

_ 16:55 DEM: I'm sorry, I didn't want to overshare...:( _

_ 16:57 SW: I don't mind. That's hard--I know loss better than most, so I get it. I'm so sorry and I can't say it gets better, but it gets easier. _

_ 16:58 SW: I have to get back to work, but it was nice chatting with you. If you need anything, I'm only a couple clicks away. We'll talk about this physicist job later...it sounds fascinating. _

_ 17:00 DEM: Thanks for your words, and you know? I'm glad Cass signed me up in this. It was nice talking to you and same, I'll be here if you wanna talk. Have a nice day! _

***

As he closed his terminal his fingers raked through his hair, his palm lingering at the crown of his head tugging his locks, a small smirk playing on his face. Whoever that was, it certainly had been a good spent half hour. He was still a little awestruck about how easily he had ended up confessing some of the things he kept closest to his chest to a total stranger. Maybe it was the empathy that reeked from her words or perhaps how at ease he felt knowing she didn’t think it was lame for an adult to make model ships. She even had the Normandy! Whoever that was, SoldierWise had brought him the first ray of glee in a long time.

It was getting late his shuttle was leaving for Illium that night and he hadn’t packed yet. Brushing the experience off, he stood up to unhang Shepard’s poster, all signs of joy completely evaporated. He took his suitcase from his closet, throwing it on the bed, carelessly stuffing inside everything he deemed necessary. There was no need to take all with him, this place was still his, and  _ if _ he came back, parts of him would still wait for him there. Opening a specially shaped case, he placed the N7 armor inside, the tip of his fingers brushing the smooth surface before putting it aside. 

An hour later he was ready, freshly showered and packages in hand, he stepped onto the elevator, sweeping the place with one final, melancholic glance. His eyes stopped for a moment, a wistful look lingering on his model of the Normandy. This was for Shepard and for everything she inspired in him; for that lost body the Alliance hadn’t seemed worthy to find _.  _ His blood boiled at that thought, remembering the news his contacts in his previous job had shared with him. That sting burned like hot coal in his gut. The cold air of the night yanked him back to reality just in time to hop into the RapidTrans.

He was among the last boarding the shuttle, and as they lift over the smog and neon lights of the Zakera District, his eyes darted to the now visible stars scattered among the sky. They looked beautiful tonight. 

_ The stars remind me humanity is small. And that there's a lot of room for all of us. _

As the weariness of the day washed over him, he wondered if SoldierWise, wherever she was, was lucky enough to be looking at the stars right now.  

***


	2. Dark Energy Matters

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard has a flashback to Akuze after helping Grunt with his Rite of Passage, and needs a distraction

Dirt, sweat and bug guts caked her skin, hair and armor as she made it up to the loft after taking down the thresher maw with Grunt and Garrus, breath rattling still. Taking down the Thresher Maw and all the Klixen had been exhausting even with the Particle Rifle she’d looted off the dead Collector on Horizon. Her head pulsed, temples pounding, a lingering headache that made everything worst from headbutting Uvenk when he said Grunt wasn’t krogan because he was born in a lab, and now, all she wanted to do was wash all this gunk off. She didn't realize how much she was trembling until she tried to undo the clamps and clips of her armor. A flash of memory jolted her--her thigh speared by a maw, barely missing her femoral artery as it dragged her screaming across the rough terrain, whipping her about like a ragdoll. And then there was the acid burn down her right side just under her ribcage from trying to protect her team. Had she known she was going to take on a thresher on foot again--the mako was fine--she would have tried to get out of it. It took a lot longer than she intended to disrobe before entering her bathroom and turning on the shower, letting the hot water soothe the ache from her tired muscles, the pelting beating the abuse from her body.

She stood in the hot stream, palms flat against the wall as she ground her teeth together, trying not to remember Akuze and how despite her best efforts she'd lost her entire team. Except Toombs and the angry email from him about her working with Cerberus after what they did to their squad and him hadn't helped matters. She stared at the jagged scar down her thigh, still an angry pink even after all these years. Quinn took a deep, steadying breath, and turned the water to lukewarm, the scalding heat aggravating her PTSD since she was already reliving the memories. She began scrubbing every inch of flesh raw, working to rid herself of everything she’d accumulated on her body and in her long, wavy brown hair while trying to find Maelon, and then throwing herself into Grunt’s rite of passage. She turned off the water, and examined her burn scar in the mirror before wrapping a towel around herself--they were the two scars Cerberus had kept, maybe as a brutal reminder that she was only human, and the reason she was who she was. This was not how she expected the day to go.

After changing into her pajamas, and settling into bed, try as she might she couldn't sleep, her mind going back to Akuze again and again--convincing her there was something she could have done. Quinn wiped a stray tear from her cheek, and sat up, eyeing her private terminal through the glass. Making sure her crew had a clear head before they headed for the Omega 4 relay was her priority, but she needed a clear head too, and her flashbacks to Akuze weren't helping any. DarkEnergyMatters probably wasn't even awake, but it was clear she wasn't going to be able to sleep for a couple hours yet, not until she stopped being haunted by her past. It was worth a shot. Grumbling, she swung her legs over the side of her bed, feet touching the cold floor as she padded over to her private terminal and flipped it on.

_ 22:42 SW: Are you awake? I can't sleep and earlier I was convinced my shower was trying to kill me; PTSD never gets any easier, unfortunately. _

_ 22:47 DEM: I was just thinking about you. It's been a while...is everything okay? _

_ 22:48 SW: Just an old mission coming back to haunt me. Everything went to hell in a handbasket--I lost my whole team and today sent me back there. I was kind of hoping we could talk about your old job? I need the distraction. _

_ 22:50 DEM: That's awful. I’m happy to distract. Do you know anything about Dark Energy? _

_ 22:50 SW: Nope. Teach me.  _ <3

_ 22:55 DEM: Okay, so, my thesis was that the more dark energy present, the faster time in and around the object in question moves. Take Haestrom's sun for example; it's on the brink of going supernova. _

_ 22:57 DEM: But it's a relatively new sun. And shouldn't be aging so fast. _

_ 22:58 DEM: A black hole is formed when a very large star dies and goes supernova. Meaning it runs out of nuclear fuel and explodes before collapsing and consuming itself until it's the size of a pinhead, but it retains its former mass. Which is quite large considering the size of most stars. _ _   
_ _ During a star's lifetime, its gravity and pressure are balanced out by its mass. However, when a star collapses, gravity gets the upper hand and forces the star to collapse under its own weight. When this happens the core compacts into such a small size it has practically no volume, but infinite density. Because of this, the black hole starts to consume light. Meaning that the surrounding area becomes a cesspit of darkness that nothing can see through. _

_ 23:00 DEM: There was a high concentration of Dark Matter found inside the sun's core, causing it to age more rapidly than it should have--but that quantity of dark energy in combination with the black hole created upon the star's inward collapse can actually tear a hole in dark space, creating a doorway. _

_ 23:00 SW: I know what you’re talking about. I was on Haestrom almost a month ago. Walking in the sunlight without being fried was so hard! Almost destroyed my armor's internal sensors. _

_ 23:01 SW: It makes so much sense now. _

_ 23:01 DEM: Though, not the greatest doorway, mind you. It requires a speed greater than light to escape the gravity of the black hole. As no object in this galaxy can reach that speed anything that passes into the gravitational field will be trapped forever. _

Quinn’s lips pursed, pondering his words. So that's what was happening when she was on Haestrom;Tali and the admiralty board would love to have this kind of insight into why Haestrom's sun had been acting so strange. Vigil’s words regarding the Reapers emerging from dark space after hibernating for 10000 years, tinkled in her head. Was Haestrom their doorway back into the galaxy? And Reapers’ sheer mass--not to mention the speed she'd seen Sovereign exhibit--would make getting sucked back into the black hole impossible. She made a mental note to tell Hackett the news immediately. Thankfully, he didn't seem to care about her stint with Cerberus, him and Anderson just trying to make sure she took all precautions and stayed safe while working with the wolves.

_23:03 DEM: Sorry I'm so chatty._ :D _I just love this stuff_

_ 23:03 DEM: I thought you were in the Alliance? When did they have business on Haestrom? _

_ 23:04 SW: I don't mind! Everything you say is so interesting and I'm here thinking full speed. I'm not actually under Alliance jurisdiction atm, more like helping a friend… _

_ 23:05 SW: Have you ever been in other worlds, apart from Illium? _

_ 23:05 DEM: I was on the Citadel for a while. _

_ 23:05 DEM: But I really haven't done much travelling. _

_ 23:05 SW: For such a space nerd, you need more travel, lol. _

_ 23:06 DEM: Lol. Don't I know it. _ XD  


_ 23:06 SW: If I could, I'd drag your ass out here, but I think my road is way too bumpy. _

A small smirk pulled a corner of her mouth. Like if that were possible. He’d never forgive her for dragging him into the chaos that was her life, threats and hellfire of damnation awaiting for her at every corner. A small part of herself still wondered why she was still there, why she hadn’t retire to live a life of her own, to get lost in a paradise world. DarkEnergyMatters would have to find his own way out into space, and maybe when this was all finished, she’d join him. Quinn rolled her eyes; it was just wishful thinking on her part--she was a soldier, and she’d go bored inside of a week if she tried ‘normal’ and she knew it. Quietness wasn’t something she was accustomed to. Her life had always been hectic and she wouldn’t know what to do with herself if it slowed down, if she’d allowed silence to creep up, filling her spaces...deep down that wasn’t something she craved. She shook her head, thoughts vanishing into thin air. Someone always would need her help, and if she could alleviate some suffering, she would; even her own death was no release, because she’d just been dragged back. A dry, humorless chuckle escaped her--all those years she’d spent in the dreamless sleep of death, just to wake up restless, back at her game again.

_ 23:08 DEM: I would love that. Not only seeing space, but meeting you? _

_ 23:09 DEM: Oh...was that too forward of me? _

_ 23:10 SW: Haha, nah. Not at all, I was the one pulling you. _

_23:10 SW: Blame it on me if you feel better_ :'D

_ 23:11 DEM: Did my rambling help you feel better at all? _

_ 23:11 DEM: And I would never blame you for anything. You're pulling me out of a very lonely bubble. _

_23:12 SW: Let's just say that this is the first moment of actual peace I had all day. Oh no!_ :( _I’m a lunkhead; didn't mean to bring it up again._

_ 23:15 DEM: It's okay. I've come to terms with the fact that I was just this too smart for his own good little nerd, who was bullied a lot. So I made something of myself and didn't look back. _

_ 23:15 SW: And hey, we’re friends. Bullies can go and suck a rat's ass. _

_ 23:16 SW: I bet that now girls are all over you, being that smart and all. You're probably quite handsome too--the whole package. _

Conrad gaped at, the screen, shocked stupid, face going red as a tomato while reading and re-reading her words; handsome had never been a word used to describe him, and the confidence it inspired suddenly was a new feeling. Though he couldn't let it go to his head too much--she’d never seen him. He’d never wanted to meet someone more than he wanted to meet her in person, put a face to the name--though now she had him falling for her with just a few well-placed compliments. He could do this...he could get over Shepard, with SoldierWise’s help. He took a deep breath to refocus, fingers hovering over the keyboard, his silence probably making her wonder. Did it hurt to phish a little to try and get a mental picture of her?

_ 23:21 DEM: I wish I'd known you a long time ago. _

_ 23:23 DEM: ...Do  _ **_you_ ** _ like smart guys? _

_ 23:23 SW: I mean what's not to like? I love to have someone who I can actually talk to instead of someone who is just y'know babbling about biotiball while staring at my boobs. Haha. Personal experience talking from when I was young and stupid. _

_23:25 DEM:_ :S _Wow, you're blunt._

 _23:25 SW:_ :'D _In my line of work I have to be._

_ 23:26 SW: Besides I'm not saying nothing out of the ordinary. Don't you think the same? _

_ 23:27 DEM: I do...just wouldn't have said it quite like that. Haha! _

_ 23:27 SW: I'm sorry if I make you uncomfortable. My friend Jeff always says I have such a sassy mouth. Yep, he uses the word sassy, lol. _

_ 23:27 DEM: Not uncomfortable! I love it. He sounds fun! You two close? _

_ 23:28 SW: He is one of my oldest friends, almost like a brother. _

_ 23:29 SW: So I saw you have no profile pic on the site--because of all the girls you have to beat back with a stick? _

_23:30 DEM:_ :'D :'D _You're one to talk, you have no pic either._ ;P _I bet you're beautiful._

_ 23:31 SW: Nah, sorry to disappoint you. Lol. I'm just like 5'4'' and y’know, regular looking brunette. _

_ 23:31 DEM: I've always had a thing for brunettes. Dunno what it is. Long or short hair? _

_ 23:31 SW: Long now, but I had to cut it really short once, cuz of cum stuck in my hair. _

_23:32 DEM:_ :S _...What?!?_

Her jaw hung open, mouth agape. She blinked, once, twice, mortification setting in her mind, heart pummeling against her chest with trepidation. Did she actually…? She almost threw herself on her keyboard.    


_23:33 SW: OMG GUM! GUM STUCK IN MY HAIR, DAMN YOU AUTOCORRECT!_ :S :S :S

 _23:33 DEM: I was gonna ask!_ :'D _Though, no judgement if sex had been a favorite pastime...and now my mind's gonna be in the gutter all night._

 _23:34 SW: Whelp, I'm gonna bow out now before I embarrass myself further. Goodnight._ :*

She covered her flushed, beet red cheeks with her hand. A small chuckle rumbled in her chest, growing into full laughter. Her body quivered, and she fell backwards on her bed. Embarrassing as it was, it had been the first genuine laugh she had had in weeks. She heard a light beep coming from her station. She opened the page on her omnitool, just to find his good bye message. 

_ 23:35 DEM: Goodnight! _

The image of her kneeling in front of him, light glinting off a white mess on her face and brown hair, her eyes closed since he didn't know the color, as he came drastically altered the fit of his pants as he sat there. It was the first time in a long time that he'd felt something even remotely akin to arousal streaking through him. She hadn't meant to have this effect on him, but the vision behind his eyelids wouldn't leave him. Conrad sighed and reached into his pants freeing his throbbing erection. His head fell back onto the back of his chair as he urged the mental picture onwards, imagining the feeling of her hands all over him, gripping his shaft and pumping him slowly, her mouth and hands working in tandem to drive him over the edge. Warmth streaked through him, letting himself get carried away with this conjured image. He bit the inside of his cheek as he thrust into his hand, hips rocking forward and backwards as the tension inside him climbed higher, nearly to the breaking point. She didn't need to know this--what would she say if she knew that he'd pleasured himself to conjured images of her without knowing who she really was? It nearly made him laugh out loud at how bad he had it for her. On that high note, he felt his orgasm crash over him, and he quietly moaned into the empty room.

***


	3. Revelations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They've chatted long enough, and decide to meet in person, much to the other's surprise at their identity...

One step after the other. He kept forcing himself to move forward, his hands slipping against the bright walls of alleys and backstreets.  _ She was alive!  _ His face contorted with joy, his brows knit together mere seconds after; as always, he’d ended up looking like an idiot in front of her. The pain in his chest was excruciating, an unmended, open gash, still bleeding after two years. She looked as beautiful as always, as brave as the last day he set eyes on her, but again, he’d proven to be a helpless dunce, a gullible ass who just tangled things beyond comprehension. He turned left, and he stood in front of his door, opening it carelessly. Once inside, he leaned against the door; at least  _ she was alive! _ The galaxy didn’t need him, hell, the galaxy had never needed him--not when they had Shepard.

It left a sour taste in his mouth, his purpose cracked just at the same time a weight had been lifted from his soul. He walked to his dorm, sitting heavily on the bed, letting his entire body fall backwards, a sigh that threatened to leave him breathless, escaped him. Finally, he had nothing. No family, friends, nor purpose, no life of his own, just an afterthought of the woman he loved. But it wasn't her fault; who was he? A nobody, a high educated nerd that bored every single person he met.

_ Well, maybe not everybody... _

He opened his terminal, trembling fingers caressing the holo keyboard, balking at his own intentions. 

_ 19:53 DEM: Hey, how are you? _

Minutes passed by, her name still grey. She was probably busy, living her life. He smiled softly, falling on his mattress again, until slowly he fell asleep. A soft beep awoke him, lashes fluttering to adjust his sight to the near darkness. On his desk, the ping of the page he left open, scintillated. He almost jumped from the bed--their conversations a bright light in his life; it hadn't been Shepard after all, as much as the idea of her. But SoldierWise was real and all he wanted. It had taken Shepard shutting him down and telling him to go home for the second time for him to realize it. His eyes snapped open; it took him a few seconds to realize where she was writing from.

_21:15 SW: Oh, I’m sorry! Work had me trapped!_ :( _Apparently, when you start helping people, suddenly they all want a piece of you. Thank God I love it._ :D

She hadn't chatted with DarkEnergyMatters in a while, her mind occupied with helping Liara become the new Shadow Broker--even running into Conrad Verner while she was on Ilium to help Miranda and Thane. Why was it her past felt the need to sneak up on her? His next line cut her thoughts short.

_21:15 DEM: It’s ok._ :) _Is the page’s interface correct? Are you on Ilium?_

_ 21:15 SW: I am. Not for much longer, but we're restocking supplies. We leave tomorrow morning. _

_ 21:16 DEM: Go out with me. _

_ 21:16 SW: Right now? It's almost 9:30. _

_ 21:17 DEM: Why not? Ilium has a lot of open places right now and nothing would make me happier than actually finally meeting you. _

_21:17 SW: You know what? Let's do it. I have to get ready, but I will meet you at the Eternity Lounge? I made friends with the Asari Matriach tending the bar there. Turns out she's my friend's long-lost dad._ :'D

_ 21:18 SW: Wear a rose in your lapel and I'll find you. _

_ 21:18 DEM: Eternity you said? Sure… _

_ 21:18 SW: What's wrong? _

_ 21:19 DEM: Nothing. It's fine, like I said nothing would make me happier than meeting you, it's just that I hope the asari won't poison my drink, lol. _

_ 21:20 SW: You don't seem the type to start a bar fight… _

_ 21:20 SW: But I'll protect you. _

_ 21:20 DEM: I did something really stupid not long ago and even though they didn't ban me, I don't think she likes me very much. _

_ 21:21 DEM: But it's ok. I trust you and I'll deal with it. _

_21:21 SW: See you soon._ :*

The excitement bubbled up inside him, his very soul about to burst out from his body. It had been a long time since he had felt bold enough to ask someone out, his shyness constantly tarnishing his courage. He stood up, darting to the bathroom to take a quick shower. After only fifteen minutes he was ready. A pair of jeans, a buttoned up shirt with the sleeves rolled up and a vest, his attire of choice--he'd have to get the rose while he was out. He felt more alive than ever before, feeling almost giddy. He sucked in a breath, trying to steady himself before leaving his apartment, hoping against odds she would feel half as happy as he felt right now. 

***

“Come on, Shep. It's a date...show a little cleavage.”

“Jesus, Kasumi, nothing is going to happen.” Quinn argued, shaking her head at the red blouse the thief held up.

“But what if it does? Can't be unprepared for popping the fucking thermal clips.” Jack laughed.

“Do you have to make it sound so crass? Honestly, Jack. Why is nothing romantic with you?” Tali asked, holding up a pair of strappy black heels to see if they complimented the black stretchy capris that flared at the knee Quinn had insisted on wearing to hide the scar on her thigh.

It felt weird to walk without the weight of her armor sagging her shoulders, feeling almost like a normal person. She kept glancing down, to the v-neck Kasumi had chosen that she'd finally given in to, the crimson shirt highlighting her golden skin and the shades between her full breasts. The clatter of her heels sounded almost definitive; she hadn’t had a date in years, probably since she was a teenager and the sheet of sweat on her palms was a clear tell tale of her nervousness. 

Conrad sat on a table, drinking from his glass, looking down, trying to avert the angry, pointed look the matriarch at the bar was giving him. Her scorn was his own doing. A thousand images flitted through his mind, sketching SoldierWise’s face, his heart pounding, his legs trembling on his seat. What if she didn’t like what she saw? A soldier, a smart, caring woman, funny and sexy. She was already out of his league. In that moment the man next to him gasped audibly, drawing his attention, a whispered “what a babe!” rasping his ears. He turned, beckoned by the direction of the man’s eyes, a quake in his gut as his eyes raked over the figure approaching the bar.

“Oh Conrad, you're not back here to be a pain in my ass again are you?”

_ Shepard.  _ Shepard was there, and a thought in downtempo sneaked in his brain as he turned to face her. And then her eyes landed on the rose in his lapel, several emotions flickering across her face, like a roulette wheel. She landed on surprise, sitting in the chair across from him.

“Shepard, no offense, but I'm saving that seat.”

“Yeah. For me I guess. I'm SoldierWise. But I'm not sure I can do this...” S he made to leave, but the hurt on his face as she glanced at him made her pause, plopping back into the seat across from him. “You know what? Let's start all the way over. I'm Quinn.”

“Conrad.”

She smiled, and he swore his heart skipped a beat, her grey eyes focused on nothing but him. Getting past the initial awkwardness had been the tough part, but since they'd started chatting anonymously, it had been easier to transition into normal, everyday topics. They fell into an easy rhythm, clarifying the details they’d omitted before, details that would've given everything away at the time. Damn. Was she actually having a good time with Conrad? And dare she say, he was actually fairly normal when it came to things that weren't her. Her night was just full of surprises. After dinner they strolled down the streets, stars twinkling up ahead as he ushered her ahead of him into an arcade. He'd spent enough time on Ilium to know the attractions. They got inside and with every said word, with every shared joke, Quinn’s previous idea of Conrad started fading to be replaced by the one of a brilliant and passionate man she had misjudged. He was the best laughing at himself, and when she scrubbed the floor with him on Shattered Eezo, he was the first bowing at her, making her chortle. 

They left, and when Quinn looked at her omnitool, the timestamp left her in awe. 

_ 01:00 a.m. _

“I had a great time, Shep--Quinn.” A shy smile danced on the corner of his lips, as his hand held hers; soft, warm and gentle.

“Is it over already?” Half surprised, half disappointed, Quinn’s gaze bore into his ocean blue eyes. Part of her was still astounded at how time had flown by in his company, her brain still wrapping around the idea of who he was and where they were. 

“It doesn’t have to be.” His voice was almost a whisper, his tone, a suggestion that tickled her interest. His cheeks were flushed, and she could almost feel the heat radiating from him when she took a step closer. “My--my place is just around the corner.” He cleaned his throat, and she saw he was almost trembling.

A sly smile spread on her face.

“Let’s go.”

***


	4. To Be Continued...

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard didn’t know what she was in for when she accepted his invitation back to his place. Who knew Conrad had it in him?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Render by NaroMoreau herself! She's so talented!

He opened the door, timidly gazing at her, softly, leaning in closer-- _had his eyes always been so blue?_ The kiss came out of nowhere, but she enjoyed it all the same...the circumstances of how they met were unusual at best. But once she'd gotten out of her own way, she was the one who deepened the kiss, angling her head to the side as she wrapped her arms around his neck, mouth opening against his and allowing his tongue to tangle with hers. Conrad moaned into the kiss, pulling her closer so every inch of her body was pressed up against his before stepping back, a question in his eyes. She nodded quickly. Opening the door to his dorm, he motioned her inside, feeling a sudden bubble of panic as he remembered the poster of her above his desk, a couple candles placed beneath it.

But thankfully, she didn't say a word when she saw it, only arching a brow at him.

His hands slipped between them, working at the buttons of her red blouse and leaving it open, the sides barely covering her perfect breasts before sliding his hand under the waistband of her pants, removing her capris with practiced ease so she stood before him in nothing but her panties and heels and an open button up. He was dying to push the sides of the button-up open, reveal her breasts to his gaze but he took his time, unwrapping her, worshipping her. There was a jagged scar down her thigh, and one that looked more like a burn peeking out past the edge of her shirt, the edge curling across her stomach almost to her belly button.

Her reminders of Akuze.

He eased her back onto the bed, slightly nervous in his inexperience--a fling here and there hadn't prepared him to have Quinn Shepard in his bed, but he was prepared to make the most of it. He fondled her ass, teasingly before sweeping over her hips, fingers hooking into the sides of her underwear and peeling them down her legs, pressing a gentle kiss to the scar on her stomach and subsequently her thigh, the cute red lacy barrier forgotten as soon as it hit the floor. Finally, he brushed the sides of the blouse back, baring her breasts to his gaze, gentle fingers sliding between her legs, grazing her clit teasingly. Quinn arched off the mattress at the touch. He grinned down at her, index finger circling the little nub, but not touching it directly and making her writhe under his attentions before he dipped his head and took a pebbled nibble in his teeth. She gasped, a flush spreading from her cheeks to the rosy tips of her breasts as wetness surged between her legs. Here she was, naked except for the open blouse and the heels and he had yet to remove anything, apparently determined to make her orgasm before he moved to undress.

“Spread your legs, beautiful.”

His blue eyes were darker than their normal hue as she obeyed, this commanding side to Conrad not what she'd expected as he plunged two fingers inside her and curled them to stroke her inner wall. She rocked her hips against his fingers, the delicious friction of his palm against her clit driving her closer and closer to the brink. Just as she got close he withdrew, catching her eyes as he brought his glistening fingers to his lips to taste her, sucking them clean as she watched, her breathing ragged. Resettling himself on the bed, he draped her legs over his shoulders, bending his head and dragging his tongue up her slit and circling it around her hood. Plunging his tongue inside her, she arched her hips invitingly, begging for him to devour her...and he intended to do just that; her juices dripping into his ridiculous goatee before he closed his mouth over her dripping sex and sucked hard, tongue flicking at her clit. He felt her toes curl and her thigh muscles tighten as she arched off the mattress fingers twisted in the sheets and her hips searching for his mouth--he'd give her what she wanted. Her clit disappeared between his lips and she came apart, the room turning blue in her biotic flare. His tongue chased the aftershocks of her orgasm, movements strong and deliberate as he licked and kissed and nibbled.

“Oh my God, Conrad…” She panted, her breathy moan had him aroused in seconds, to say nothing of hearing _Commander Shepard_ say his name like that.

He hoped he wasn't dreaming.

He worked at the buttons of his vest with eager hands, unable to stand not feeling her skin against his. When the last article of clothing hit the ground, Conrad braced his hands on either side of Quinn’s head, smiling down at her, relishing in the fact that she was here in his bed--even if he’d tried to convince himself that she was out of his league. His touch as he removed her legs from his shoulders, widening her thighs and opening her to him as he settled between her legs, was soft and gentle, his body looming over her and rocking forward. She felt amazing. He was still sure this was all a dream and he was bound to wake up at any moment even as he felt her soften beneath him, a blue flame skittering across her body. He draped her legs over his hips, fingers stroking down her legs, locking her ankles behind him and leaned down towards her, kissing her neck as he fit himself at her entrance, rubbing the tip of his erection up and down her folds, coating himself in her arousal. He held her close, her breasts smashed against his bare chest as her hips rolled, the tip of his erection grazing across her swollen clit, and smirking at her, before grasping her hips and surging forward.

The skin around his eyes crinkled slightly as he smiled down at her; every inch of her skin was flushed, her chest heaving, as she watched him, before she tugged the whiskers of his goatee, bringing his lips down to meet hers. Soft hands cupped his bottom, nails digging into the skin as she pulled him deeper within her. Her walls clenched around his shaft as he pulled back, only the first inch of his erection still inside her, before he snapped his hips forward, the headboard of his bed smacking into the wall. His index finger teased her clit as his pelvis drew back, before pushing forward into her, the headboard slapping metal again as they rocked together, bodies melting into one. A bead of sweat trickled down Conrad's forehead.

“So soft and wet just for me.” He rasped in her ear, his voice hoarse from lust causing a shiver to crawl down her spine.

Grey eyes, irises licked in blue shot open. “Fuck...how are you so good at this?”

“I may be a teensy bit of a perfectionist. What I know, I know well.” Conrad chuckled, hips snapping forward again--though now that they were here, he wasn't going to last much longer.

It was funny. If someone had told her she was going to jump into bed with Conrad Verner, and he would rock her world, she would have called C-Sec on them, suspecting red sand consumption. She was going to get an earful when she went back to the Normandy, considering she’d been insistent that nothing was going to happen. Ocean blue eyes watched her, their movements stilled. She winked at him, wrapping her leg around his, foot braced against the mattress, flipping them over--the slow pace infuriating her. He didn't say anything about her need for control because he loved it. Bracing her hands against his shoulders, she used her knees to slowly lift herself off his erection, her insides throbbing as he stretched and filled her when she sank back onto his throbbing erection, his hand slipping between them to cup her naked breast, gentle fingers drawing circles around her nipple. She rolled her hips around his cock feeling the way his muscles tensed as she rocked. He slammed her hips down to his, both of them crying out in surprise and pleasure, their heavy breathing filling the air as they came together.

“So...where do we go from here?” He asked as she rolled off of him, both of them breathing heavily.

Quinn bit her lower lip. “I don't know. I still have so much I have to do, and I don't even know if I'm going to make it back from the Omega 4 Relay. So, let's just leave it at a night of fun, and call it to be continued?”

Conrad scrunched up his nose as he sighed, not wanting to let her go so easy. “Will you stay until morning, at least?”

She nodded.

***


	5. Kiss and Don't Tell

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Shepard wakes up the next morning dreading going back to the ship to face her crew after insisting that nothing was going to happen.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been a wild ride. I hope you guys enjoy the final installment! Thank you for sticking with us and indulging this sacrilege. It was a lot more fun with a co-author than it would've been alone.

Quinn jolted awake, her surroundings as unfamiliar as the arm dappled in golden blond hair draped about her hip and the warmth at her back; it took her a moment to remember the night before, her mind addled with lack of sleep. She rolled onto her other side, Conrad still asleep next to her, his other arm curled under his head as his blond lashes fluttered against his cheeks, breathing deep and even. He pulled her towards him, relaxing slightly as he snuggled closer, his leg wrapping around hers. She didn't have the heart to wake him, extricating herself from his grip carefully so as not to disturb him, picking her way across the room and collecting her discarded clothes. The blouse she'd worn the night before, earned a critical once over--the wrinkles from wearing it as she writhed on the bed, his mouth everywhere, couldn't be hidden. She wrinkled her nose in distaste.

She still had a job to do.

“So I guess that's a no to breakfast?” His voice was hoarse due to their excursions from the night before. “Sneaking out? Are you--are you embarrassed about last night?”

The blankets pooled in his lap when he sat up, giving her the perfect view of the lean muscles that had been hidden under his clothes, as Quinn sat next to him on the bed, a bundle of clothes in her arms as she shook her head quickly, leaning in and planting a soft kiss on his lips. “Not embarrassed; last night was amazing, I just have to get back.”

He sighed heavily, running a hand through his disheveled blond hair. “Right. The Omega 4 Relay...promise you’ll come back?”

“You know I don't make idle promises--if I can't keep it, I don't want to make it.”

He knew it...and it was infuriating. Part of him wanted to ask her to make it anyways, reassure him that she would try, but the other part of him knew that if it meant saving the rest of her team, she'd sacrifice herself. Cerberus had spent so much bringing her back the first time; there wouldn't be another chance. His eyes focused, following her movements as she proceeded to dress, a lingering caress on her skin. If she walked out his door there was no guarantee that he would ever see her again--but he hoped he would; she always faced danger head-on, why should now be any different? Because they spent one mind-blowing night together? That was selfish and he knew it. He stood, quickly pulling on his pants, as she ran distracted fingers through her hair, trying not to look so disheveled, and failing miserably, but even so, he wasn't sure he'd ever seen anything more beautiful in his life.

Conrad caught her at the door, Quinn pulling him hard against her and pressing her lips to his her mouth moving frantically against his own. She pressed something into his hand, but he was too focused on the little moan he drew out of her when he grazed her lower lip with his teeth. His tongue slipped between her parted lips, and teased hers in a hungry circle, as he curled his hand over her hip and tugging her closer, their bodies melting into one as they stood in the doorway. If she never let go, it would be too soon. Flattening her hands against the wiry muscles of his chest, pushing him back slightly so she could catch her breath. If they kept going like this, she wouldn't make it back for her shift...the Normandy couldn’t leave without her of course, and it was tempting to let him drag her back to bed, but she couldn't let her libido get the best of her.

“Okay, I really have to go. You know how to contact me.”

“Hey.” He took her hand in the one that wasn't currently holding her present. “You made me a promise...‘to be continued,’ remember?”

A slow smile spread across her face. “So I did.”

“ _ When _ you come back, I'll be waiting for you.”

“Thanks for an amazing night, Conrad.”

She kissed him one last time, before forcing herself to leave, waving at him over her shoulder. He leaned on the doorframe watching her until she was long out of sight, wondering how he had gotten so lucky. Quinn Shepard, the woman of his dreams had just shared his bed  _ and _ was reluctant to leave it. Best. Night. EVER. Closing the door and making his way back into his bedroom, collapsing back against his pillows he realized he was still clutching her present, and finally, he opened his hand to see red lace peeking out at him. His jaw dropped. Did she…? Realizing what he held, his nostrils flared in surprise; in his palm was a pair of red lacy panties--the same ones he'd peeled from her body the night before, still slightly damp and smelling of her.

She blinked against the sunlight as she stepped outside, a faint echo of chatter and a slight scent of eezo mixed in the breeze of dawn, as Quinn stopped a shuttle, getting inside. She kept her head down, sure she was not the first person on Ilium to be getting home at this time, and luckily at this hour there weren't as many people milling about to see her state of dress. Though she didn't regret a moment of it. She’d been surprised, but when they started over, almost everything had been forgotten, pushed to the back of her mind--and he’d even been so graceful when he lost, her competitive streak threatening everything. She pressed her fingers to her lips, the pressure of his mouth lingering; the last kiss, the fervor of his hands and lips on her, had her shaking, her core throbbing painfully still dripping for him.

_ Damn.  _

Anxious fingers fidgeted with the hem of her shirt, ready to be back in her armor, but not ready to lose the last remnants of the night before. She sighed and stared out the window of the RapidTrans, forehead resting against the thick glass with Illium speeding by in a blur; the spaceport was the last stop. After the bioscan, she entered the docking bay, the doors to the Normandy opened at her approach, locking behind her. She barely heard the hiss of the decontamination sequence begin, too wrapped up in her own thoughts, brain already turning back to her role of Commander Shepard and her seemingly never ending to do list to be ready for the trip through the Omega 4 Relay.

“Looks like something fucking happened after all…” Jack grinned, running into Quinn in the CIC, hers eyes lighting up in delight at catching their Commander doing the walk of shame. “Like some fucking happened, actually.”

“Laugh it up, Jack.”

Her disheveled hair matched the scruffiness of her attire. Where the day before they had seen perfectly ironed clothes, her shirt was rumpled and creased--thank God her pants were black. Jack’s eyes settled on the smudged eyeliner around her eyes, her red, swollen lips, traits she knew too well. Quinn walked passed her crew, performing her most stately walk; she wasn’t drunk but even if she were, Cerberus didn’t have any restrictions in that department. And it wasn't like it was anyone's business what she did when she was off duty. At that point, she wasn’t even ashamed of having spent the night with Conrad, but she wasn’t also eager to feed the rumor mill across the Normandy. 

“So? How was he?” A whisper, that seemed to came out of nowhere caught her inside the elevator.

“Holy shit, Kasumi! Cloaking is just for the field, not to kill me of a heart attack!” Shepard jumped back, her butt hitting the back wall of the elevator.

“Mmm. So that bad huh?” Kasumi cocked a hip, arms crossed over her chest, a cheeky smile and a raspy voice, accompanying her bright eyes under the hood...Quinn would’ve sworn she’d seen the thief wiggling her eyebrows.

“None of your business.” Quinn ushered her out of the elevator, pushing her slightly, even under Kasumi’s protests. 

When the doors finally closed, she leaned against one of the walls, a smirk on her face. She almost missed the abrupt jolt of the lift, when it stopped in front of her quarters.  Stepping across the threshold, she glanced at the holo-clock on her nightstand. 

_ 06:00 _

Barely four hours of sleep, and she was far from feeling exhaustion. When her body hit the bed, flashes of the night flitted before her eyes. In the silence of her room, his touch ghosted over her skin, over her lips, the pressure of his fingers still a stirring sensation inside her. Her own thoughts brought the colors to her face, making her giggle like a schoolgirl. She had still two hours until her shift started. Without undressing, she closed her eyes, falling asleep with the sensations of their lovemaking engraved in her mind. 

A chime sounded from her omnitool, making her long lashes flutter as she dragged herself from sleep. Her thoughts immediately were drawn to him, opening her omnitool with avid hands--but seeing the message she froze, gaping at it in shock.

_ From: ***EncryptedSender*** _

_ To: Commander Quinn Shepard _

_ Seriously Shepard? Conrad?  _ _ I didn't give your body to Cerberus to bring you back for that! _

_ L. _

_ *** _


End file.
